Slicing machine



1934- w. A. VAN BERKEL 1,947,628

SLICING MACHINE Filed Jan. '18, 1930 19236722797: ia-mm 4. WW

Patented Feb. 29, 1934 SLIOING MACHINE Wilhehnus Adrianus van Berkel, Clarens, Switzerland, assigncr to U.

pany, La Porte, Ind,

Application January 18 S. Slicing Machine Coma corporation of Indiana 1930, Serial No. 421,623,

and in Germany February 5, 1929 Claims.

This invention relates to meat slicing machines and particularly to that type of slicing machine in which the table remains stationary as the knife reciprocates thereby, and in which a feedl ing table is provided to feed the substance toward the cutting plane of the knife. In machines of this nature, difliculty has been experienced in positioning the substance on the supporting table because certain bracing elements of the frame which are needed for producing a strong and efficient frame are arranged between the operator and the supporting table, therefore, in machines of this nature, the supporthig table is slidable in p a direction toward and from the cutting plane of the knife so that while the supporting table is away from the cutting plane of the knife the substance be positioned thereon and thereafter the table be moved into operative position adjacent the said cutting plane.

In machines of this nature, the feeding of a feed table along the substance support is accomplished by means of a suitable feeding mechanism actuated by the movement of the knife and, therefore, it is difficult to maintain proper driving connection between the feed mechanism and the knife when the table is moved into the position where the substance is to be positioned thereon.

One object of t is invention therefore is to provide means for automatically connecting and disconnecting the feed mechanism when the table is moved from operative to inoperative position relative to the cutting plane of the knife.

Anot .er object of this invention is in the provision of means for moving the pawl and ratchet of a feeding mechanism out of engagement with each other when said table is moved away from the cutting plane of the knife and for automatically reestablishing operative connection between said pawl and ratchet when said table is again moved to operative position adjacent the cutting plane of the knife.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for lifting the pawl of a feeding mecha nism comprising a pawl and ratchet, out of engagement with said ratchet if and when the table is moved to an inoperati e position and for automatically moving said pawl into engagement with said ratch when the table is again moved to its operative position.

Other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical chine embodying my elevational Vi w of a mainvention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view partly in section of the means for automatically connecting and disconnecting the feed mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The slicing machine comprises a frame having a base member 1 and upstanding brackets 2' and 2'. A shaft 3 journaled in the bridge member 4, loosely supports the arm 5 which is journaled thereon, the free end of the arm carrying a knife spindle 6. The knife spindle 6 carries a sprocket 7 and a knife 8. A chain 9 is trained over the sprocket '7 and also over the sprocket 10 secured to the shaft 3. An internal gear 11 is also secured to the shaft 3 and this internal gear is in mesh with the pinion 12 secured to the rotor 13 of the motor 14 so that when the motor is operating the shaft 3 is driven and this in turn drives the knife 8 by means of the sprockets 10 and 6 and the chain 9. The motor is pivoted to the bridge 4 at 15 and the support for the motor carries an extension 16 yieldingly urged in a clockwise direction about the pivot 15 by means of a spring- 17 arranged within the housing 18. This brings the gears 11 and 12 into operative relation with each other.

The arm 5 has a link 19 pivoted thereto at 20 and this link is in turn pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 21 pivoted at 22 to the frame of the machine, the other arm of the bell crank being connected by means of a link 23 to the sector plate 24.

The sector plate 2% has a hub portion 25 journaled on a sleeve 25 screw threadedly secured to the plate 2'7 which in turn is secured to the bracket 2' in a manner best illustrated in Fig. 2. The sector plate carries a pin 28 which is slidably mounted in a radial recess therein and this pin is adapted to extend through a slot 29 provided in the periphery of the sleeve 26, it being understood that the sleeve 26 remains stationary and the sector plate 24 oscillates about the sleeve. Motion is imparted to said sector plate by means of the arm 5, link 19, bell crank 21 and link 23.

The sleeve 26 also carries a plate 30 screw threaded into a position spaced from the ends of said sleeve and a pin 31 is slidably mounted in an opening in plate 30, said opening being arranged substantially centrally of the plate. A spring 32 surrounds the pin 31 and abuts against the enlarged head 33 formed integrally with the pin 31 or permanently secured thereto. The other end of the spring abuts against the plate 30 so as to normally urge the pin 31 towards the right, as viewed in Fig. 2. A collar 34.- secured to the pin 31 limits the movement of the pin to the right. The enlarged head 33 is provided with a substantially conical cam shaped head 35 which is adapted to engage the inner rounded end of the pin 28, so that when the pin 31 moves to the right the pin 28 moves outwardly from the center of the sleeve.

The sector plate 24 also supports a pawl 36 pivoted on a screw 37 secured to an extension 38 on the sector plate. The pawl 36 has a pin 39 secured thereto, a portion of which lies in the path of movement of the pin 28, so that when the pin 31 is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the pin 28 will strike the pin 39 and rock the pawl in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 3) about its pivot. A spring 40 is arranged within a suitable recess in an extension 41 on the sector plate 24 and also within a suitable recess in an extension 42 on the hub of the pawl 36. This spring is for the purpose of urging the pawl 36 in a clockwise direction about its pivot.

A supporting table 43 is mounted on suitable guides 44 and 45 for movement towards and from the cutting plane of the knife or in the directions indicated by the double arrow in Fig. 2. A feed screw 46 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 4'7 provided along one side of the table 43 and a guide rod 49 for the feed table is secured to the bearings 47 just above the feed screw 46. The feed table 60 is slidably mounted on the guide rod 49 and prevented from upward movement by the retaining tongue on the member 61 which slides in a groove in the adjacent edge of the table 60. The table 60 has an extension 66 thereon which embraces the rod 49 and guides the table, and this extension also carries the feed nut 67, which engages the feed screw 46. If desired, the feed nut may be made separate from the extension and movable into and out of operative engagement therewith in any of the well known'manners. Rotation of the feed screw will cause the feed table to be fed longitudinally of the table 43 in a manner which is well known in the art to which this invention pertains. The table 60 carries any suitable clamping means such as the clamping bar 64 supported by the uprights 62 and 63, the clamping bar being for the purpose of clamping a substance onto the feed table 60. A ratchet 50 is secured by means of a pin 51 to the forward end of the feed screw and it will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 2 that when the table is in its operative position, a portion of the unthreaded part of the feed screw lies within the sleeve 26 and is in abutting relation with the end of the enlarged head 33. It will be noted that the enlarged head 33 has been moved to the left against the action of the spring 32 by the portion 52 of the feed screw. This permits the pin 28 to slide inwardly while held against the cam surface 35 due to the action of the spring 40 on the pawl 36 which spring tends to move the pawl in a clockwise direction and force the pin 28 against the cam surface 35 by the engagement of the pin 39 with the pin 28.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, the pin 28 has been sufficiently retracted to permit the pawl to engage the teeth of the ratchet 50. However, if the table 43 is moved to the right carrying with it the feed screw 45 and ratchet 50, the enlarged head 33 will follow this movement until the collar 34 comes into engagement with the plate 30 the cam surface 35 forcing the pin 28 outwardly against the pin 39, thus rocking the pawl 36 about its pivot and out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 50. The table 43 then can be moved to any desired position away from the knife 8 and the substance may be clamped on the table and the table returned to the position shown in Fig. 2. When the feed screw approaches the position shown in Fig. 2, the end portion 52 strikes the enlarged head 33 and moves it to the left, permitting the pin 28, under the action of the spring 40, to move inwardly toward the center of the sleeve 26. This lowers the pawl into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet so that as the sector plate 24 is oscillated the pawl will rotate the ratchet and as a result, the feed screw. Rotation of the feed screw will move the feed table with a step by step movement toward the cutting plane of the knife due to the engagement of the screw threads of the feed screw with the nut on the feed table, all of which is old and well known.

A shield 51' is also rotatably mounted on the sleeve 26 and may be adjusted to any angular position about the sleeve and held in any adjusted position by means of a screw 52' operating within a slot in a member 53 or by any other suitable means. The shield 51' is for the purpose of varying the eiiective amount of movement imparted to the ratchet by the pawl and this is accomplished in a well known manner, the shield tending to lift the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet during a portion of the oscillating movement of said pawl.

By the arrangement just described it will be seen that a very simple and efficient means has been provided for disconnecting the pawl from the ratchet when the table is moved out of operative position adjacent the knife and for automatically reestablishing the connection therebetween when the table is again moved to operative position. If desired the end portion 52 of the feed screw may be tapered slightly so as to facilitate entry thereof into the sleeve 26 or the forward edge of the opening in the sleeve may be beveled for the same purpose. I wish to have it understood that while I have shown my invention as applied to a slicing machine in which the table is moved from an operative position adjacent the cutting plane to an inoperative position, I do not wish to have my invention limited to feeding means for a slicing machine constructed in this manner, as my invention is applicable to other types of slicing machines in which it may be found desirable to connect and disconnect the feed screw from its actuating means.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fully disclosed one embodiment of my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a slicing machine, the combination with a slicing knife, of a substance supporting carriage adjacent the cutting plane of said knife, and a feed screw on said carriage, separable interconnecting means between said screw and an actuating means supported independently of said carriage, said carriage being movable relative to said independently supported means to automatically connect and disconnect said separable interconnecting means.

- 2. In a slicing machine, the combination with a slicing knife, of a substance supporting carriage adjacent the cutting plane of said knife, and a feed screw on said carriage, separable interconnecting means between said screw and an actu ating means supported independently of said carriage, said carriage being movable relative to said independently supported means to automatically connect and disconnect said separable interconnecting means, said separable interconnecting means comprising a pawl and ratchet.

3. In a slicing machine the combination of a carriage, a feed screw on said carriage, a ratchet on said feed screw, a pawl rotat bly mounted on a support independent of said cs riage, for moving said pawl about its pivot, and means for automatically raising said pawl out or engage ment with said ratchet when said ratchet is moved relatively to said pawl in a direction transverse to the plane of rotation of said pawl.

4. A slicing machine comprising a frame, a support movably mounted on said frame, a pawl pivoted to said frame, a feed screw rotatably mounted on said support, a ratchet secured to said feed screw, said support being movable to a position in which said pawl will operatively engage the teeth on said ratchet, means for actuating said pawl and means operable to hold said pawl out of the path of said ratchet as ratchet moves into operative position adjacent pawl and means for lowering said pawl thereafter engagement with said ratchet.

5. In a slicing machine, the combination with a carriage, of a feed screw on said 0- rriage, a

ratchet on said feed screw, a pawl for rotating said feed screw by its engagement with said ratchet, said table and feed screw being bodil moved toward and away from said pawl, and means for automatically raising said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet as said carriage when the same are in operative po to each other, said table being movable rela said support in a direction parallel with the axis of said ratchet to move said ratchet out operative position with respecttosaid owl, t means adapted to automatically 1' out of the path of movement of said ratchet as said ratchet is moved out of its operative position with respect to said pawl, and means operable upon said ratchet being moved again to its operative position with respect to pawl to permit said pawl to resume its operative engagement with said ratchet.

'7. In a slicing machine, the combination. with a table. of a knife movably mounted relative to said table, an actuating means mounted on a suitable support, a feed mechanism on said table adapted to be actuated by said actuating means, said feed mechanism including a ratchet and said actuating means including a pawl adapted to nor- ;,axis of said ratchet to move said ratchet out of operative position with respect to said pawl, resilient means adapted to automatically raise said' pawl out of the path of movement of said ratchet as said ratchet is moved out of its operative position with respect to said pawl, and means operative upon said ratchet being moved again to its operative position with respect to said pawl to permit said pawl to resume its operative engagement with said ratchet said resilient means being rendered inoperative by said feeding mechanism when said ratchet is moved to operative position with respect to said pawl and said pawl having resilient means associated therewith for urging pawl into operative engagement with said ratchet when said first mentioned resilient means becomes inoperative.

8. In a slicing machine, the combination with a table, of a knife movably mounted relative to said'table, an actuating means mounted on a suitable support, a feed mechanism on said table adapted to be actuated by said actuating means, said feed mechanism including a ratchet, a pawl included in said actuating means and adapted to engage said ratchet, a sprin for urging said pawl into engagement with said ratchet, said table beinovaole relatively to said support in a direction parallel with the axis of rotation of said ratchet to thereby move said pawl and ratchet into and out of operative relation with each other, resilient means automatically operable upon movement of said pawl and ratchet out of operative position to raise said pawl out of the path of movement of said ratchet as said ratchet is moved operative position and to permit said out or its pawl to move into engagement with said ratchet when said ratchet is again moved into operative position, said resilient means comprising a spring-pressed pin having a cam surface thereon and movable in one direction as said pawl and ratchet move out of operative relation to each other and a second pin which engages said cam surface and is movable by said cam surface when said pin moves in said aforesaid direction to thereby mo e said pawl to its inoperative position against the action of said spring which urges said pawl into operati'e position against said ratchet.

9. A slicing machine comprisinr a frame, a substance table movably mounted with respect to said frame, feed mechanism on said table including a feed screw and a ratchet thereon, a sleeve supported on said frame, a spring-pressed pin' ha ing a cam surface thereon arranged within aid sleeve and in path of movement of said eed screw, a pawl journalled on said sleeve, a econd pin extending through an opening in said leeve and a position to be engaged by said cam surface, yielding means for urging said pawl in one direction, said surface and second pin acting to move said pawl in the other direction when said first is moved in one direction, said feed screw being acapted to engage said first pin to move said first pin against the action of its spring when said ratchet is brought into operative position relative to said pawl by a movement of said table, and said first pin being operable to move said pawl away from said ratchet when said feed screw moves away from said first mentioned pin.

10. A slicing machine comprising a frame, a substance table movable relatively to said frame, feed mechanism on said table including a feed screw and a ratchet thereon, a sleeve supported on said frame, a spring-pressed pin having a cam surface arranged within said sleeve and in the path of movement of saidfeed screw as said table is moved to and away from an operative position, a pawl journalled on said sleeve, a second pin extending through an opening in said sleeve f and in a position to be engaged by said cam surface, yielding means for urging said pawl in one direction, said cam surface and second pin acting to move said pawl in the other direction when said first pin moves under the action of its spring, said feed screw being adapted to engage said first pin to move said first pin against the action of its spring when said ratchet is brought into operative position relative to said pawl, said cam surface being operative to move said pawl away from said ratchet when said feed screw moves '1 bridge, a knife carried by said arm and swinging in a plane relatively close to said brackets, a main substance table movable toward and from the cutting plane of said knife and into and out of a position between said brackets in a I '5; direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said knife, said table being movable to a position away from said cutting plane so that the sides of said table are unobstructed by said brackets, means for guiding said table as it :moves to inoperative position, said table being the main table upon which the substance to be sliced is supported and bearing a substantially fixed relation to the cutting plane of said knife during the slicing of successive slices from a {substance supported on said table, and means movable relative to said table and also bodily therewith for feeding the substance along said table when said table is in operative position.

12. In a slicing machine, the combination with 5 ,94 stationary frame, of a knife mounted for re-.

ciprocation on said frame, said frame comprisin uprights having a substance receiving opening therebetween, and a bridge supported by said uprights and adapted to support said knife Qduring its reciprocation, an under table movable to and from the cutting plane of said knife and between said uprights, a feed table mounted on said under table and movable relatively thereto, feeding mechanism for feeding said feed table 1; relative to said under table, means on said frame adapted to actuate said feeding mechanism when said under table is in operative position adjacent the cutting plane of said knife, and means for automatically disconnecting said actuating mechanism from said feeding mechanism when said under table is moved to an inoperative position.

13. In a slicing machine, the combination with a carriage, of a feed screw on said carriage, a ratchet on said feed screw, a slicing knife, guides extending in a direction toward the cutting plane of said knife and upon which said carriage is slidably mounted, a feed table slidably mounted on said carriage and movable in the same direction as said carriage, a feed screw for moving said feed table relative to said carriage and toward the cutting plane of said knife, and means for rotating said feed screw comprising means movable with said carriage when it is moved to inoperative position and means which does not move with said carriage when it moves to its inoperative position, said rotating means for said feed screw being automatically rendered inoperative when said carriage is moved to a position away from the cutting plane of said knife and being automatically rendered operative when said carriage is moved into operative position adjacent said knife.

14. In a slicing machine, the combination with a substance support, a table adapted to occupy a position closely adjacent the cutting edge of the knife during a slicing operation to support the substance at the end thereof from which the slices are being severed, of a knife support, a knife movably mounted on said support for movement relative to said table whereby slices may be cut from a substance mounted on said table while said table is in operative position, and a feeding means movable relative to said table toward and from the cutting plane of said knife for feeding a substance along said table; toward said knife while said table is in operativeposition including a feed screw on said table, pawl and ratchet mechanism mounted on said table and knife support and actuated by operative connections between said pawl and ratchet mechanism and said knife, and guiding means for guiding said table from an operative position to an inoperative position remote from said cutting plane, and means for automatically disconnecting the pawl and ratchet of said feeding mechanism if and when said table is moved to an inoperative position remote from said cutting plane.

. .11 15. In a slicing machine, the combination with 5 a substance support, a table adapted to occupy a position closely adjacent the cutting edge of the knife during a slicing operation to support the substance at the end thereof from which the slices are being severed, of a knife support, a knife movably mounted on said support for movement relative to said table whereby slices may be cut from a substance mounted on said table while said table is in operative position, and a feeding means movable relative to said table toward and from the cutting plane of said knife for feeding a substance along said table toward said knife while said table is in operative position including a feed screw on said table, pawl and ratchet mechanism mounted on said table and knife support and actuated by operative connections between said pawl and ratchet mechanism and said knife, guiding means for guiding said table from an operative position to an inoperative position remote from said cutting plane, and means for automatically disconnecting the pawl and ratchet of said feeding mechanism if and when said table is moved to an inoperative position remote from said cutting plane and being automatically retracted as said table is moved back into operative position.-

VJILHELMUS ADRIANUS VAN BERKEL. 

